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fender custom shop

#22
line6man said:
It was my understanding that Fender does any custom work you want them to, however, it comes at a price.
I heard one guy say they quoted him at $12K for a custom job.

I could be wrong though.
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Your understanding is incorrect.

They will do any custom work you want them to.... as long as it doesn't deviate from what Fender deems as "Fenderesque".

IOW, they won't build you a 7 string bass that's shaped like a BC Rich Warlock... but they'll be happy to build you a 5 string Precision style in Ash with a lacewood top and a Jazz width neck. (for example)
 
#23
Rocky said:
Brado

I respectfully disagree Brado, I own a 64 limited J-bass NOS and its the nicest Fender I have every owned. The fretwork is flawless, the neck pocket is tight, the nut is perfectly cut, and it sounds just like one would expect. I Payed 1800.00 plus tax for this bass new because Fender wanted to move some product, and I was lucky enough to be able to swing it. Would I pay the original 3500.00 price? No, but I'm not about to pay 4K for a Sadowsky either. To say the MIM Fenders are better than the custom shop models makes me wonder how you can come to that conclusion. I know the MIM can be decent, but there is no way they compare to a CS model. The wood selection alone is a major deference, and the craftsmanship is not as good as a CS model in my opinion. The electronics in a MIM bass is typically the first thing most guys change as they aren't as good as the MIA models, and the custom shop PU are better than the MIA models. Sadowsky does makes a fine instrument, and the metros go for around 2100-2500 bucks, but when I was looking at them the NYC I wanted was over 4k, and I can't justify that kinda cash right now. Additionally, the Sadowsky does not sound like an old school Fender by their own admission. It does have a great modern sound, and I'm sure it can come very close to vintage Fenders depending on the model of course, but it's not the same. Also, although the Sadowsky bass does hold its value, but I bet it will be easier to sell a CS bass over the Sadowsky if you needed to do that.
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I understand where your coming from. Yes; the custom shop has higher grade woods (which cost more) and they put in nicer pickups/ electronics (as they do in the MIA basses). It sounds like you got a good one from the batch. I understand the importance of great craftsmenship & solid design. All I'm saying is that the MIM basses (though the wood grade isn't the same caliber and the electronics could stand to be beefed up) will mechanicaly compete with any Fender 3 times the price. Here's an example. I worked on two 5 string Fenders during the same week. One was a Custom Shop Victor Bailey 5 & the other a MIM Jazz with active pre. It was obvious which bass looks better. Both basses were in need of fret work & some major setup afterwards.......In the fret leveling department; the MIM only needed a tiny amount of leveling & the slightest amount of end dressing. The VB....almost twice as much for both. It was so bad that I had to remove & re-set a few frets. They were in crooked. You could actually see the tang leaning crooked in the slot & see a gap under the fret on the tilted under-side.......The ends were jagged. I'm talkin' sharp (not "good" sharp..."almost cut my fingers" sharp). AND... the neck needed to be shimmed. The G string saddle was bottomed out & still nowhere near low enough for consistant playability. If Fender's Custom Shop is going to charge soo much, why isn't the instrument RIGHT. I wasn't trying to set the action super low either. We're talking more-so on the medium side of things......Anyways; I did my thing. I had to spend over twice the time on the VB to get it to play as well as the MIM. I took both basses to a local gig (with permission from the owners) to take 'em for a spin. I played them both. They both did great. Really great/ equally. Yes....the Victor Bailey had a higher pitched treble center frequency then the MIM bass....The MIM actually had more low end with the EQ set flat. On top of all this....the MIM was quieter (electronically) than the VB. So: the buyer has to stop & asses the situation....and ask him/herself, "What am I paying for?" I'll take a MIM with minimal superficial problems (that can be fixed) any day over a custom shop with just as many (and more) problems. Forget the eye candy. I'm over buying wall-hangers. Does it work? That's the question. That's what any bass I own does for me. WORK.
 
#25
Brado said:
I understand where your coming from. Yes; the custom shop has higher grade woods (which cost more) and they put in nicer pickups/ electronics (as they do in the MIA basses). It sounds like you got a good one from the batch. I understand the importance of great craftsmenship & solid design. All I'm saying is that the MIM basses (though the wood grade isn't the same caliber and the electronics could stand to be beefed up) will mechanicaly compete with any Fender 3 times the price. Here's an example. I worked on two 5 string Fenders during the same week. One was a Custom Shop Victor Bailey 5 & the other a MIM Jazz with active pre. It was obvious which bass looks better. Both basses were in need of fret work & some major setup afterwards.......In the fret leveling department; the MIM only needed a tiny amount of leveling & the slightest amount of end dressing. The VB....almost twice as much for both. It was so bad that I had to remove & re-set a few frets. They were in crooked. You could actually see the tang leaning crooked in the slot & see a gap under the fret on the tilted under-side.......The ends were jagged. I'm talkin' sharp (not "good" sharp..."almost cut my fingers" sharp). AND... the neck needed to be shimmed. The G string saddle was bottomed out & still nowhere near low enough for consistant playability. If Fender's Custom Shop is going to charge soo much, why isn't the instrument RIGHT. I wasn't trying to set the action super low either. We're talking more-so on the medium side of things......Anyways; I did my thing. I had to spend over twice the time on the VB to get it to play as well as the MIM. I took both basses to a local gig (with permission from the owners) to take 'em for a spin. I played them both. They both did great. Really great/ equally. Yes....the Victor Bailey had a higher pitched treble center frequency then the MIM bass....The MIM actually had more low end with the EQ set flat. On top of all this....the MIM was quieter (electronically) than the VB. So: the buyer has to stop & asses the situation....and ask him/herself, "What am I paying for?" I'll take a MIM with minimal superficial problems (that can be fixed) any day over a custom shop with just as many (and more) problems. Forget the eye candy. I'm over buying wall-hangers. Does it work? That's the question. That's what any bass I own does for me. WORK.
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My CS experience is limited, I own just one CS Fender, a 59 P-bass reissue, but the fit and finish couldn't be better. However, it's also not that much better than my 57 AV P-bass that cost $1,000 less.
 
#26
jpfbass said:
Why would you if you could get a really nice, quality bass from a company like f bass, bee basses, etc. They'd probably cost the same amount anyway. BTW, I doubt fender actually makes custom in the first place.
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Maybe he doesn't want the "niche tone" (tones a little diff just to be diff) of a boutique bass. Maybe he want the tried and true tone of a Fender with a little extra TLC put into the building process. To my ears Fender J's and P's are still 2 of the greatest toned basses ever built.
 
#27
TheNightLife said:
sadowsky, especially if your gonna go through fenders custom shop for minor things. your better off with a sadowsky not to mention the fact that the sadowsky will hold its resale value any day of the year.
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Sadowsky basses are great... I own one. But they don't have the same tone as Fenders. If the Fender tone is what you really want... You don't really want a Sadowsky.
 
#29
T-MOST said:
Sadowsky basses are great... I own one. But they don't have the same tone as Fenders. If the Fender tone is what you really want... You don't really want a Sadowsky.
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I totally agree! I've owned several Sadowsky's and none felt or sounded like a Fender.
That being said, I've also have owned quite a few Custom Shop Jazz basses and none of them played or sounded like a true Fender either!!

I have a real '62 Jazz bass, but this is my newest addition built the closest to a Fender than any other bass I've owned:

VF4fiestared001.jpg


VF4fiestared002.jpg


VF4fiestared003.jpg



F Bass VF4, alder body, rosewood fingerboard, clay dots, nitro cellulose finish, '60's pickup spacing. The price for this bass was very reasonable also. Far less $ than a Masterbuilt Fender and better quality
 
#31
Hey Brado, VB5 bass is NOT a Custom Shop bass! It's a regular production run bass! As far as the frets go any bass can suffer from some degree of fret sprout depending on the humidity changes. Fender does not have control over basses that have left the factory and sit in some warehouse! I have purchased numerous basses new directly from Fender (not the store) and have always got a bass that was problem free! These were basses MIM and MIA!
 
#32
Brado said:
I understand where your coming from. Yes; the custom shop has higher grade woods (which cost more) and they put in nicer pickups/ electronics (as they do in the MIA basses). It sounds like you got a good one from the batch. I understand the importance of great craftsmenship & solid design. All I'm saying is that the MIM basses (though the wood grade isn't the same caliber and the electronics could stand to be beefed up) will mechanicaly compete with any Fender 3 times the price. Here's an example. I worked on two 5 string Fenders during the same week. One was a Custom Shop Victor Bailey 5 & the other a MIM Jazz with active pre. It was obvious which bass looks better. Both basses were in need of fret work & some major setup afterwards.......In the fret leveling department; the MIM only needed a tiny amount of leveling & the slightest amount of end dressing. The VB....almost twice as much for both. It was so bad that I had to remove & re-set a few frets. They were in crooked. You could actually see the tang leaning crooked in the slot & see a gap under the fret on the tilted under-side.......The ends were jagged. I'm talkin' sharp (not "good" sharp..."almost cut my fingers" sharp). AND... the neck needed to be shimmed. The G string saddle was bottomed out & still nowhere near low enough for consistant playability. If Fender's Custom Shop is going to charge soo much, why isn't the instrument RIGHT. I wasn't trying to set the action super low either. We're talking more-so on the medium side of things......Anyways; I did my thing. I had to spend over twice the time on the VB to get it to play as well as the MIM. I took both basses to a local gig (with permission from the owners) to take 'em for a spin. I played them both. They both did great. Really great/ equally. Yes....the Victor Bailey had a higher pitched treble center frequency then the MIM bass....The MIM actually had more low end with the EQ set flat. On top of all this....the MIM was quieter (electronically) than the VB. So: the buyer has to stop & asses the situation....and ask him/herself, "What am I paying for?" I'll take a MIM with minimal superficial problems (that can be fixed) any day over a custom shop with just as many (and more) problems. Forget the eye candy. I'm over buying wall-hangers. Does it work? That's the question. That's what any bass I own does for me. WORK.
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First of all like I have already posted, The VB bass is a regular production bass! Second of all the VB bass has a tweeked pre to give the bass a more "organic" sound. Thats why the MIM bass appears to have more bass when both are set flat! And as far as any noise, my CS custom classic is DEAD QUITE with the treble cranked all the way and it's 12 years old! I find it hard to believe any new CS active Fender would be noisy.
 
#33
Having lived on Sunset blvd during the mid to late 80's I was able to play many vintage Fenders at the shops along that blvd. I have also owned many vintage guitars and basses during the last 38 yrs. That being said I find my custom shop 64 J-bass to be fairly accurate in feel and tone maybe not EXACTLY like a true vintage, but close enough.
 
#35
+1 on Alleva but if its a Fender CS you want then why don't you check out some available CS models for sale.I have seen a quite a number and they do play nice and look great. They usually price around 2600 upwards.Then go find the same one on sale in the classifieds and save yourself 1k or more. :)
 
#36
Another benefit of a CS instrument is that Fender extends the warranty on the hardware and electronics for life to the original owner with free shipping to and from the Corona facility. Admittedly I have never had trouble with hardware or electronics on any of my basses so this may or may not be a perk. However, if you buy a CS bass, and its flawed in any way Fender will repair or replace it. Another words if you get a bass thats as bad as Brado claims, and I highly doubt you will, then you can get it fixed or replaced by Fender.
 
#37
your idol said:
when you get $4000 give em a call
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+1 !!! That's no kiddin' either! Just got a Custom Shop quote last week. All I wanted was a 75 Jazz RI in a 3TS instead of natural. They sell for about $1800. I was given a quote of $4000 and an estimated wait of about 6 months! A markup of $2200 just to change the paint scheme?!?! This is the second time I've been given a $4000 quote. Forget it! No more trips to the Custom Shop for me! Save your time and money and look elsewhere or be prepared to drop a serious amount of change as well as a six month wait.

Seriously I believe $4K is the minimum amount they quote in order to discourage the average person from bothering them at all in the first place. They've got enough orders on their plate to keep 'em happy and busy enough for the time being. Unless your Sting, John Paul Jones, or Geezer Butler you're really gonna "Pay it to Play it!". Just my thoughts...
 
#38
I payed 1800.00 + tax (originally 3460.00 + tax @ 9.75 here in L.A.) for my limited edition 64 J-bass in black, and that was because Fender wanted to clear some inventory I suppose, but 4000.00 + tax just to change the color is steep. It seems you have to buy a CS team built instrument to get it for less than 4000.00, and God help you if you want a master built. As crazy as that seems buying a vintage instrument in good condition is anywhere from 5000.00 and up oh and of course the frigging tax unless your lucky enough to buy privately, so I don't no which is worse. I know there are lots of great basses made by other builders, but it seems 2000.00 is about the lowest your going to get if its custom and made here in the U.S. and Fender always seems to have a market.
 
#39
Rocky said:
I payed 1800.00 + tax (originally 3460.00 + tax @ 9.75 here in L.A.) for my limited edition 64 J-bass in black, and that was because Fender wanted to clear some inventory I suppose, but 4000.00 + tax just to change the color is steep. It seems you have to buy a CS team built instrument to get it for less than 4000.00, and God help you if you want a master built. As crazy as that seems buying a vintage instrument in good condition is anywhere from 5000.00 and up oh and of course the frigging tax unless your lucky enough to buy privately, so I don't no which is worse. I know there are lots of great basses made by other builders, but it seems 2000.00 is about the lowest your going to get if its custom and made here in the U.S. and Fender always seems to have a market.
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"Master Built" That's exactly what is was! Every time I want something that deviates just the slightest bit from spec, they kick me over to Master Built! At one time I wanted a Precision American Deluxe with a crimson transparent finish, gold hardware and pearloid block inlays on a rosewood fretboard. $4500! That was three years ago! Glad I didn't order it. Looking back at it all, the price was outrageous as well as my idea of what I thought looked good at the time! Kinda tacky in hindsight!
 
#40
Gums said:
+1 !!! That's no kiddin' either! Just got a Custom Shop quote last week. All I wanted was a 75 Jazz RI in a 3TS instead of natural. They sell for about $1800. I was given a quote of $4000 and an estimated wait of about 6 months! A markup of $2200 just to change the paint scheme?!?! This is the second time I've been given a $4000 quote. Forget it! No more trips to the Custom Shop for me! Save your time and money and look elsewhere or be prepared to drop a serious amount of change as well as a six month wait.

Seriously I believe $4K is the minimum amount they quote in order to discourage the average person from bothering them at all in the first place. They've got enough orders on their plate to keep 'em happy and busy enough for the time being. Unless your Sting, John Paul Jones, or Geezer Butler you're really gonna "Pay it to Play it!". Just my thoughts...
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The difference is that you bass isn't gonna be built on a production line, it's probably gonna be the same parts, but a whole lot better put together, the nicer you want to make an instrument the more it costs, usually along the lines of an exponential curve, since the things you need to fix to make it better get smaller and smaller, and the benefits of the changes you make get smaller and smaller, and the changes takes more and more time. Point of diminishing returns is kinda what you set with your budget.

There's a guy here with a CS jazz that's really neat, can't remember his name though, need to check it out.
 

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